Power systems such as, for example, large internal combustion engines burn hydrocarbon-based fuels or similar fuel sources to convert the chemical energy therein to mechanical energy that can be utilized to power an associated machine or application. Combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel may release or create several byproducts or emissions, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon monoxides and carbon dioxides (CO and CO2), and particulate matter. The quantity of some of these emissions that may be released to the environment may be subject to government regulations and environmental laws. Accordingly, manufacturers of such power systems may equip the system with an associated aftertreatment system to treat the emissions before they discharged to the environment.
The aftertreatment system can be disposed in the exhaust channel of the power system and may include a unit or module through which the exhaust gasses may pass. The module may include one or more aftertreatment bricks that may chemically or physically change the composition of the exhaust gasses that encounter the bricks. Examples of aftertreatment bricks include catalysts that chemically alter the exhaust gasses and filters that can trap specific components of the exhaust gasses. In some embodiments, the aftertreatment brick may be permanently fixed to the module, for example, by welding or the like. However, some types of aftertreatment bricks may become depleted or deactivated after a period of use, or may become damaged due to the conditions in which they are used, and require replacement. Accordingly, the aftertreatment system may be designed to facilitate replacement of the bricks.
An example of a replacement system for aftertreatment bricks, in particular catalysts, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,602 (the '602 patent). The '602 patent describes a catalyst disposed across the cross-section of an exhaust channel so as to be arranged perpendicularly to the exhaust flow. To retain the catalyst in place, a bolt and a jam nut arranged parallel to the exhaust flow may be threaded through an upstream portion of a housing body and tightened against the catalyst therein to urge the catalyst against a downstream portion of the housing body. However, access to the catalyst is achieved through an access door at a different location of the housing body. To replace the catalyst, the bolt and jam nut must be loosened, and the depleted catalyst removed through the access door, thereby resulting in complicated two-step process.